UKPOL.CO.UK

Tag: 2014

  • Nicholas Brown – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Nicholas Brown – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Brown on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to the government of Indonesia on human rights in West Papua.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    In January 2014, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) raised the situation in Papua and West Papua with the Indonesian Foreign Minister, Marty Natalegewa who made clear the determination of the Indonesian government to improve the human rights situation there.

    Most recently, in June 2014, our Ambassador to Jakarta raised Papua with Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Legal, Political and Security Affairs, who reconfirmed his government’s intention to increase autonomy for the region. Our Embassy staff also visit the provinces regularly, discussing our concerns with government officials, civil society leaders and human rights defenders. We remain concerned about reports of violence and human rights abuses, including limitations on free speech and limitations on access to the region by international non-governmental organisations, foreign journalists and diplomats.

  • Steve Reed – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Steve Reed – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress has been made by the Cyber Crime Reduction Partnership over the last 12 months; and if she will make a statement.

    Karen Bradley

    The UK Cyber Security Strategy, which includes a commitment to develop a
    partnership group with industry on cyber crime, was published in November
    2011.
    My Rt Hon Friend, the Minister for the Cabinet Office, gave the second annual
    report on progress against objectives set out in the strategy on 12 December
    2013 (Official Report, Columns 43 to 47 WS). The Minister for the Cabinet
    Office also placed before Parliament a list of achievements over the preceding
    year and a document that outlines its future plans. The documents can be found
    at:
    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-cyber-security-strategy-2-ye
    ars-on
    The Partnership, one of a set of engagement points with industry on Cyber
    Security, provides an opportunity to raise awareness of cyber crime amongst
    members, helping them to become more resilient to the threat. To date, it has
    provided a forum for partners to share views on key changes to the law
    enforcement landscape on cyber and contribute to key actions in the Strategy.
    This includes work to coordinate cyber security messages to the private sector.

  • Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    Chris Ruane – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Chris Ruane on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, which 50 local authorities had the largest decrease in electoral registration between December 2012 to March 2014; and which parliamentary constituencies cover such local authorities.

    Mr Gary Streeter

    The Electoral Commission informs me that the requested data is available here:

    [hyperlink attached document]

  • Lord Patten – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lord Patten – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Patten on 2014-06-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Warsi on 18 June (WA 38), on how many occasions since 2010 there have been unlawful incursions by naval or other vessels of other European Union countries into British territorial waters.

    Baroness Warsi

    There have been no unlawful incursions into British (UK) territorial waters by naval or other vessels of European Union countries other than Spain since 2010. Further to my written answer on 18 June (WA 38), there have been no unlawful incursions into British Gibraltar Territorial Waters by naval or other vessels of European Union countries other than Spain since 2010.

  • Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead on 2014-06-26.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether concerns about the use of torture have been raised in Uzbekistan under the European Union Human Rights Dialogue; and if so, when.

    Baroness Warsi

    Concerns about torture were raised in the last EU-Uzbekistan human rights dialogue which took place in November 2013. Specifically, concerns were raised about reports of torture of detainees and there was discussion focussed on encouraging progress towards establishing a National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) on torture.

    The UK has significant concerns about the human rights situation in Uzbekistan, as reflected in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s annual human rights report. Torture is one of the issues which we continue to raise both in multilateral contexts such as the EU Human Rights Dialogue and through our bilateral contacts with the Government of Uzbekistan. I had wide ranging discussions, including on human rights, during my recent visit to Uzbekistan in April, and more recently during a meeting in London with the Uzbek Ambassador here.

    In a bilateral context, our Embassy in Tashkent funds a range of projects in support of good governance, human rights and the development of civil society. In relation to torture prevention, we have promoted British experience of criminal justice reform and have shared UK expertise to support the development of Uzbekistan’s NPM against torture. Our Embassy also contributes to discussions between the Uzbek authorities and its international partners to encourage criminal justice reform.

  • Lyn Brown – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Lyn Brown – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lyn Brown on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department’s publication of work carried out by the Government Actuary’s Department Costings and Correspondence on 12 June 2014, what plans he has to bring forward new proposals based on options set out in that document negotiations on firefighters’ pensions.

    Brandon Lewis

    As set out in my response to the hon. Member of 24 June, Official Report, column 131W, we are currently consulting on draft regulations to implement the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme 2015 and this consultation concludes on 4 July 2014. The Department will consider all the responses received to that consultation and final decisions will subsequently be taken on the design of the scheme to be implemented. It is open to the Fire Brigades Union, or any other interested party, to respond to the consultation in a way that builds on the costings carried out on behalf of the Union by the Government Actuary’s Department. However, it would be premature to pre-empt the outcome of that consultation.

  • Tom Greatrex – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Tom Greatrex – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Greatrex on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of his Department’s consumption in kWh of (a) gas and (b) electricity in each month since June 2010; and what the cost of such consumption has been in each such month.

    Dr Andrew Murrison

    The table shows the breakdown of consumption and expenditure relating to gas and electricity for each month since June 2010. Figures are not yet available for the first quarter of Financial Year 2014-15

    The expenditure data represents physical payments in addition to the accrued expenditure posted to the Ministry of Defence accounts each month.

    Expenditure also includes standing charges as well as costs of pure consumption.

  • John Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    John Robertson – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Robertson on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate he has made of the duration in days that the South East of England fuel demand could run at full capacity based on current stock levels of (a) refined petrol and (b) diesel products in the event of an emergency on the scale of the Buncefield explosion in 2005.

    Michael Fallon

    UK supplies of aviation fuels are resilient to most hazards and additional protections have been put in place since the incident at Buncefield in 2005. Any impact upon supplies would depend entirely on the nature of any incident.

  • Katy Clark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Katy Clark – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Katy Clark on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the UK Embassy in Saudi Arabia provides support and protection to human rights activists in that country.

    Hugh Robertson

    Our policy on human rights defenders is guided by the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders (1998) and the EU Guidelines. Embassy officials have regular contact with human rights defenders. It is, however, often the view of the defenders that involvement with foreign representatives and organisations can make their task of pressing for reform more difficult. Nevertheless, we work to align our priorities with theirs and continue to press for reform.

  • Ian Paisley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ian Paisley – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Paisley on 2014-06-26.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what organisations or individuals Ministers or officials of his Department have met to discuss standardised packaging of tobacco in the last 12 months; which Ministers or officials were present at those meetings; and who represented each organisation present at those meetings.

    Jane Ellison

    Details of Ministerial meetings with external stakeholders are published quarterly in arrears on the Gov.UK website at:

    www.gov.uk/government/collections/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings-2013#department-of-health-dh

    The Department does not keep a central diary of the engagements that every Departmental official has had. In discharging their official duties, Ministers, special advisors and Departmental officials meet with representatives from a range of organisations.